TOR, ANONYMITY AND THE

DEEP WEB
MOHAMAD HOJEIJE
OVERVIEW:

• ANONYMITY.
• BASICS AND BACKGROUND OF TOR.
• TOR BROWSER.
• THE DEEP WEB.
• DEEP WEB VS DARK WEB.
• ALTERNATIVES.
• DEBATE.
ANONYMITY

• THE
UNIDENTIFIABILITY OF
A PERSON.
• SEVERAL POSITIVE
USES.
• LEGALLY RECONIZED;
ALTHOUGH LEGALITY
IS TOTALLY CONTEXT
DEPENDENT.
INTERNT ANONYMITY

• THE CONCEPT IS THE

SAME BUT COULD BE
HARDER TO ACHIEVE
ONLINE.
• FURTHER SECURITY
BENEFITS.
• ACHIEVABLE BY
MEANS OF TOR,
VPNS, PROXY
SERVERS, ETC.
BASICS AND
BACKGROUND OF
TOR
• TOR STANDS FOR THE ONION
ROUTER.
• FREE AND OPEN-SOURCE
SOFTWARE.
• CONCEALS IP ADDRESS.
• DEVELOPED IN 1990S FOR THE
U.S. NAVAL RESEARCH
LABORATORY, FOR
MILITARY/SECURITY USE.
• MESSAGES ARE ENCAPSULATED
IN SEVERAL LAYERS OF
ECRYPTION.
THE TOR
BROWSER
• LAYERED ENCRYPTION
MECHANISM.
• ENTRY NODES, MIDDLE
NODES, AND EXIST NODES
(SERVERS).
• NODES/SERVERS ONLY
KNOW THE PREVIOUS AND
NEXT NODE/SERVER. THE
PATH REMAINS CONCEALED.
THE DEEP WEB
• NOT FINDABLE BY SEARCH
ENGINES.
• THE MAJORITY OF THE
INTERNET.
• WRONGLY ASSOCIATED
WITH ILLICIT CONOTATIONS.
DEEP WEB VS.
DARK WEB
• A PORTION OF THE DEEP WEB.
• INTENTIONALLY HIDDEN.
DEMANDS A SOFTWARE LIKE
TOR.
• LEGITIMATE USE, BUT ALSO
ILLICIT PURPOSES.
ALTERNATIVES
• FREENET.
• FOCUS ON FIGHTING
CENSORSHIP AND PROMOTING
FREE SPEECH.
• POLITICAL USE.
• DATA STORED AND DISTRIBUTED
IN MULTIPLE NODES/SERVERS.
FURTHER THINKING
• IS ABSOLUTE ANONYMITY ON THE INTERNET A RIGHT OR A PRIVILEGE?
• HOW SHOULD GOVERNMENTS BALANCE NATIONAL SECURITY WITH INDIVIDUAL
PRIVACY RIGHTS?
• CAN INTERNET ANONYMITY AND A SAFE, SECURE DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT
COEXIST?
• IS INTERNET ANONYMITY BENEFITIAL, OR DOES IT ENABLE UNETHICAL
BEHAVIOR BY PROVIDING A SHIELD FOR ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES?
• SHOULD LAW ENFORCEMENT HAVE THE ABILITY TO BREACH INTERNET
ANONYMITY TOOLS LIKE TOR IN THE INTEREST OF SOLVING CRIMES, AND IF SO,
UNDER WHAT CONDITIONS OR OVERSIGHT?
• THE DARK WEB DILEMMA: IS THE EXISTENCE OF THE DARK WEB A NECESSARY
SIDE EFFECT OF MAINTAINING PRIVACY AND FREEDOM ON THE INTERNET, OR
DOES IT REPRESENT A FAILURE OF INTERNET GOVERNANCE?
THANK YOU
• HTTPS://ONLINESIM.IO/INSTRUCTIONS/THE-DARK-SIDE-OF-THE-INTERNET-PART-5-HOW-TO-
ACCESS-DARKNET-VIA-TOR-I2P-AND-FREENET

• HTTPS://CCDCOE.ORG/UPLOADS/2018/10/TOR_ANONYMITY_NETWORK.PDF

• HTTPS://UPLOAD.WIKIMEDIA.ORG/WIKIPEDIA/COMMONS/4/41/GEOGRAPHIES_OF_TOR.PNG
• MOORE, DANIEL. "CRYPTOPOLITIK AND THE DARKNET". SURVIVAL: GLOBAL POLITICS AND
STRATEGY. RETRIEVED 20 MARCH 2016.
• LAWRENCE, DUNE (23 JANUARY 2014). "THE INSIDE STORY OF TOR, THE BEST INTERNET
ANONYMITY TOOL THE GOVERNMENT EVER BUILT". BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK. ARCHIVED
FROM THE ORIGINAL ON 29 MARCH 2014. RETRIEVED 28 APRIL 2014.
• ABOUT TOR BROWSER ¦ TOR PROJECT ¦ TOR BROWSER MANUAL". TB-
MANUAL.TORPROJECT.ORG. ARCHIVED FROM THE ORIGINAL ON 19 APRIL 2022. RETRIEVED 27
APRIL 2022.